Reigning Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law was retired to stud Wednesday, ending one of 2020’s most storied campaigns due to a veterinarian’s diagnosis. That diagnosis revealed bone bruises to his front leg bone. Those bruises were discovered when assistant trainer Robin Smullen noticed Tiz the Law […]
Tag: Authentic
Life Is Good’s Next Stop: The Derby Trail’s Sham Stakes
The same day that 2-year-old sensation Life Is Good became the favorite in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, trainer Bob Baffert said he’s likely to run next in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Baffert told the Thoroughbred Daily News that Life Is Good will join the […]
Into Mischief Again Proves He’s a Breed Above the Rest
Into Mischief illustrated again why he is the most sought-after sire in North America when his suddenly hot 2-year-old, Life Is Good, won his Del Mar debut Sunday. With the victory, Into Mischief broke the North American single-season progeny earnings record. When Life Is Good romped home by 9-½ lengths […]
Not Every Horse Retired in 2020: Here are the Stars to See in 2021
Now that we’ve bid farewell to the Thoroughbred standouts who retired in 2020, which horses will we greet as the returning equine stars worthy of attention in 2021? We bid farewell to Authentic, Improbable, Maximum Security, Vekoma, Tom’s d’Etat, War of Will, McKinzie, Serengeti Empress, Enable, and Ghaiyyath in recent […]
It’s Economical How Gramm Won Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge
Proving those who can do, can teach, Marshall Gramm, an economics professor at Rhodes College in Tennessee nailed an Authentic-Improbable exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The $170,250 score gave him the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge title. With the late bet, which vaulted Gramm over 429 other top handicappers, […]
Maximum Security Retires: Closes Book On Wild, Accomplished Career
Three days after finishing off the board for only the second time in his career, Maximum Security retired from racing. The Eclipse Award 3-year-old Champion of 2019 heads to Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud, where he’ll begin his stud career in 2021 standing for $20,000. The move comes after Maximum Security […]
After Breeders’ Cup Classic Win, Authentic Rides Off to Retirement
After watching his gate-to-wire victory in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, it took Authentic’s owners barely 24 hours to retire the three-time Grade 1 winner at the end of his 3-year-old season. The Kentucky Derby champion heads to Spendthrift Farm, the large Kentucky breeding farm and majority owner of Authentic. He […]
On Record-Setting Day, Breeders’ Cup Handle Takes Mild Dip
With Kentucky Derby champion Authentic, standout filly Gamine, and Knicks Go all winning Breeders’ Cup races in record time – and without general public tickets available – the Breeders’ Cup World Championships managed its sixth-highest all-sources handle since 2007. That was the year the Breeders’ Cup expanded to two days. […]
Breeders’ Cup Classic: Picking a Winner in this All-Star Field is a Puzzle
If you’re grasping to understand how good the field is for this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic truly is, it’s easiest to picture what an All-Star horse race would look like. The Mid-fall Classic, as it were. If the Mid-fall Classic offered a $6 million purse, two Triple Crown race winners, […]
Breeders’ Cup Speed Figures: Looking at an Instant Classic
As you parse the speed figures for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, you understand there is truth in advertising to this year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup’s flagship race. Putting aside the eight Grade 1 winners in the 10-horse field, these speed figures should make this Classic well … an instant […]
Improbable Takes Favorite Status, Outer Post in Breeders’ Cup Classic
The last time Bob Baffert turned loose a Breeders’ Cup Classic favorite at Keeneland, that horse – American Pharoah – won him his second of three consecutive Classics. Now, Baffert has more than an outside chance of winning his fourth. He has three outside chances. That’s because his three mainstays, […]
Circa Sports Makes Improbable the Breeders’ Cup Classic Futures Favorite
One day after opening the first domestic Breeders’ Cup Classic futures board, Circa Sports puts Improbable as the favorite to capture the $6 million Breeders’ Cup’s marquee event on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Improbable opened at +380, then moved up slightly to +410. His best odds overseas are 4/1. The […]
Winning Preakness Complicates Swiss Skydiver’s Breeders’ Cup Plans
She’s run with the boys. Now, with her Preakness victory last Saturday, Swiss Skydiver beat the boys. So what’s the next challenge for one of the great North American fillies of her generation? That would be the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. That much, we know. But what are […]
Swiss Skydiver Wins Epic 2020 Preakness Stakes Amid Plunging Handle
Not even one of the most exciting Preakness finishes in memory prevented a 48.7% drop in betting handle from 2019’s record figure, according to Equibase. Pimlico’s 12-race Preakness handle checked in at $51,252,631, a nearly 50% drop from last year’s $99,852,653 record handle. That 2019 handle came on a 14-race […]
The Triple Crown Ends Here: Breaking Down the 2020 Preakness Stakes
It’s October 2020, which in this bizarre of all bizarre years, means it’s Preakness Stakes time. That there is no Triple Crown at stake does not mean there is nothing at stake in the third and final jewel of a wild, 15-week Triple Crown campaign. The 2020 American Classics trail […]
Speed, Breeding, Competitive Fire Produces an Authentic Champion
When he races, Authentic doesn’t show a lot of patience on the track. He’s developed a well-earned reputation as the proverbial front-runner, a horse who likes the lead and a horse who relishes a challenge. This, however, contrasts with the connections and background of the Kentucky Derby champion and 9/5 […]
Trainer Tommy Drury Takes Big Picture View with Art Collector
Art Collector was the biggest “what-if†surrounding this year’s Kentucky Derby. “What if†the multi-dimensional speedster ran the Derby? Would Authentic have run first at every call, like he did en route to his victory? Would he have had run first at the most important call of all – the […]
After Surprising Derby, Mr. Big News Turns the Page to Preakness
Trainer Bret Calhoun vowed he would never dive into the Triple Crown pool until he had a horse worthy of the plunge. So what is it about Mr. Big News that brought Calhoun back into the pool after a subpar 2019 Kentucky Derby from By My Standards? What is it […]
Preakness Stakes Draw: Derby Winner Authentic Takes Favorite Spot
While Preakness Stakes favorite Authentic was wrapping up his final pre-race workout, the 9/5 favorite for Saturday’s 145th Preakness drew post 9 at Monday morning’s post draw in Baltimore. In what’s already been a wild and unpredictable Triple Crown season, at least one reliable standby remains true. The Kentucky Derby […]
It’s Official: Swiss Skydiver Jumps into Preakness Stakes
Swiss Skydiver’s trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed Saturday his star filly will take on the boys in next Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. McPeek told the Daily Racing Form that the decision to run Swiss Skydiver in the final Triple Crown race of 2020 “was one of the toughest decisions of my career.†[…]